Workspace Group Multi-Site Facilities Manager Recruitment

Background

Workspace Group appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Facilities Manager to support the operation of its multi-site property portfolio.

The role was central to maintaining standards of Facilities Management, building performance and customer care across a number of centres. Reporting to the Head of Facilities, the successful candidate would be responsible for keeping buildings safe, compliant, well maintained and responsive to the needs of customers and stakeholders.

The position called for a blend of technical FM knowledge, contractor management, budget control, team leadership and customer service, which made it an important operational appointment within the wider Facilities function.

The Challenge

Workspace Group needed a Facilities Manager able to carry a broad set of responsibilities across multiple sites while holding service standards steady.

The successful candidate had to be confident managing planned and reactive activity alike, and able to build working relationships with customers, contractors and internal stakeholders.

The brief covered:

• Building operations and maintenance. Day-to-day operation of multiple centres, keeping building services reliable and effective.
• Planned and reactive maintenance. Managing planned preventive maintenance and reactive works to limit disruption and protect asset performance.
• Contractor management. Coordinating external contractors, monitoring service delivery and making sure works were completed safely and to standard.
• Health and safety compliance. Holding health and safety standards and keeping Facilities activity aligned with statutory and company requirements.
• Site projects. Overseeing Facilities-related projects so works were properly planned, coordinated and delivered.
• Budget management. Monitoring FM expenditure and keeping services and projects within agreed financial parameters.
• Team leadership. Managing and supporting Facilities staff, with clear accountability and consistent performance.
• Customer and stakeholder relationships. Building effective relationships with customers and other stakeholders so Facilities Management contributed to the overall customer experience.

In flexible commercial property, that last point is not a soft extra. Occupiers in this market are customers rather than long-lease tenants, and their experience of the building is largely their experience of the Facilities team. A manager who runs the plant well but handles people poorly costs the business in a way that shows up commercially, which narrows the field to candidates who can evidence both.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens worked closely with Workspace Group to understand the operational requirements of the role, the culture of the organisation and the weight placed on customer service within the Facilities function.

Using our specialist Facilities Management network, we identified candidates with relevant experience across multi-site operations, technical FM, contractor management and customer-facing environments, assessing them on:

• Facilities Management experience
• technical and operational competence
• planned and reactive maintenance knowledge
• health and safety awareness
• contractor and supplier management
• budgetary control
• team leadership
• stakeholder communication
• customer-service capability

Candidates went through detailed interviews and reference checks to confirm they matched both Workspace Group's operational requirements and its expectations around service delivery.

Following a thorough selection process, Maxwell Stephens placed an experienced Facilities Manager.

The Outcome

The successful candidate brought leadership, technical expertise and a proactive approach to the role, which showed across the portfolio:

• Building operations. Effective oversight of day-to-day building services, keeping environments reliable and well managed across the portfolio.
• Maintenance coordination. Greater control over planned and reactive maintenance, so works were prioritised appropriately and delivered with minimal disruption.
• Contractor performance. Firmer coordination and management of contractors, improving accountability and holding service standards.
• Compliance. A close focus on health and safety and wider Facilities compliance, supporting a safe and controlled operating environment.
• Budget management. Closer oversight of FM expenditure, keeping services and projects aligned with agreed budgets.
• Customer service. Strong communication and a customer-focused approach, strengthening relationships with occupiers and stakeholders across the centres.
• Team leadership. Better coordination across Facilities teams and clearer standards around service delivery and operational performance.

Why This Placement Worked

The placement gave Workspace Group a Facilities Manager able to balance technical operations, compliance, budget control, contractor management and customer service across a multi-site portfolio.

Briefs like this are often filled from the technical end alone, on the assumption that customer service can be coached afterwards. In practice it rarely is, and the cost lands on the centres. Assessing both from the start produced a shortlist that held up against the whole of the role rather than the more measurable half of it.

If you are recruiting a Facilities Manager to strengthen a multi-site property operation, Maxwell Stephens can help you shape the brief and reach candidates who combine operational depth with a real grasp of the customer experience. Get in touch with our team.